2024 was a key year for Russian “achievement of objectives” in Ukraine, with Moscow’s forces conquering 189 population centers and they “firmly maintain the strategic initiative along the entire line” of the front.
President Vladimir Putin said this quoted by Russian agencies. Putin also accused the United States of sending “mercenaries and military advisors” to Ukraine and encouraging the escalation of the conflict to push Russia towards “the red line”.
“In their desire to weaken our country, to inflict a strategic defeat on us – said the head of the Kremlin speaking to the leaders of the Ministry of Defense – the USA continues to pump the illegitimate regime in Kiev with weapons and money, sending mercenaries and military consultants , encouraging the escalation of the conflict. At the same time, under the pretext of a phantom Russian threat, they scare their own people with our possible aggression.”
“The tactic is simple – added Putin -: they make us reach the red line, at which point we can no longer back down and we begin to respond. Then they immediately scare their citizens, just as in the times of the USSR”
The Russian president said that “this year, on average, over a thousand people a day are enlisting” under contract in the Russian armed forces. According to Moscow’s Defense Minister, Andrei Belousov, there will be “over 427,000” soldiers enlisted in the Russian army this year. However, the figures provided by the Russian authorities cannot be independently verified.
“Not even the 14-year-old draft will save Kiev”
“Kiev is preparing to commit a new “crime” by lowering the draft age from 25 to 18, as requested by the USA, but even if they lower it to 14, this “will not change the situation on the battlefield”. “I think the next crime will be to lower the mobilization age to 18,” Putin said. But even lowering it to 14 years “as in Hitler’s Germany, creating a “Hitler Youth”, will not change the situation on the field”. Putin, in a meeting of the leaders of the Ministry of Defense, declared that the fighting situation is at a turning point.”